Krafton is citing November testimony from Ted Gill, Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire in a Delaware court case against the founders of the Subnautica studio. The publisher argues the evidence shows there was no premeditated plan by Krafton to remove Unknown Worlds’ leadership to avoid the earnout.
Krafton also claims the three co‑founders’ testimony “demonstrates they lied and tried to conceal their exit from Subnautica 2 in order to collect hundreds of millions of dollars for nothing.”
In court filings, Cleveland acknowledged:
I stopped working four months ago and moved into semi‑retirement.
McGuire noted:
I still take on individual tasks when needed, but I long ago stepped away from that role.
Gill, during an audio call on June 10, 2025, stated:
If you want to delay the game, just pay the “earnout” (payment based on results).
Krafton uses these statements to argue that the founders’ primary concern was the earnout payments, not the studio’s welfare or its upcoming releases.
Source: iXBT.games